The instant invention relates to packaging for medical equipment and supplies and more particularly to an elongated strip of detachably connected bags for receiving and containing medical equipment and supplies and the like prior to the use thereof.
Various types of packaging, such as various types of hermetically sealable bags, have been heretofore available for receiving and containing medical equipment and the like under sterilized conditions prior to the use thereof. In addition, various types of packaging have been available which have been adapted to permit the sterilization of articles contained therein and to thereafter maintain the articles under sterilized conditions. For example, sealable plastic bags and other types of plastic packaging having side access openings therein which are sealingly covered with detachable access strips made of semipermeable or "breathable" materials have been heretofore available. Packaging of this type has permitted the sterilization of articles contained therein through the use of various types of sterilizing gases which can pass through the breathable strips of the bags after they are sealed to sterilize articles contained therein. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,369 to Schuster discloses packaging which is generally exemplary in this regard and represents prior art which is generally related to the instant invention. The packaging disclosed in Schuster is, however, believed to be only of general interest, since it is made from a flat sheet of plastic material which is folded to a desired configuration, and, as a result, it is not really adapted for continuous automated manufacturing and/or feeding operations.
Other types of packaging which have comprised a flexible plastic tubular wall portion which is sealed at one end thereof and has a longitudinally extending slit on one side thereof, and a semipermeable strp which is sealed to the exterior of the wall portion for covering the slit have also been heretofore available. Bags of this type have had the advantage that they can be effectively heat sealed along the open ends thereof after articles have been placed therein. Further, when bags of this type are heat sealed, the seals are only required to penetrate two layers of plastic material, and therefore effective uniform seals can easily be formed. Individual bags of this type, however, have the disadvantage that they also are only adapted for unautomated individual article feeding operations.
The instant invention provides an effective continuous strip of bags which can be used by conventional automated feeding apparatus for filling, sealing and separating the bags of the strip in a continuous automated operation. The strip of connected bags of the instant invention comprises a plurality of substantially identical bags, each comprising a seamless tubular wall portion made of a flexible plastic material which is in a substantially flattened two-sided configuration and has an elongated slit along one side thereof, and is sealed at one end thereof and open at the opposite end thereof, and a detachable strip which is received on the wall portion for covering the slit. The slit in the wall portion extends substantially longitudinally from a point which is spaced from the open end thereof to a point which is spaced from the sealed end thereof, and the detachable strip extends longitudinally along the exterior of the wall portion so that it covers the slit, and it is heat sealed to the wall portion adjacent the opposite edges of the slit and adjacent the end of the slit which is closest to the sealed end of the wall portion. The bags are detachably connected along perforate lines in end-to-end relation so that the sealed end of the wall portion of one bag is detachably connected to the open end of the wall portion of the next bag. However, the bags are detachably connected along only one side of the wall portion of open end of each bag so that access to the interiors of the bags is provided through the open ends thereof while the bags are connected. Further, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the detachable strips on the bags extend along substantially the entire extents of the respective bags, and the slits in the bags are provided along the sides thereof which are connected so that the detachable strips are also disposed on the connected sides of the bags. Further, preferably the detachable strips are also detachably connected at the ends thereof, and the detachable strips are preferably constructed of a breathable material, such as paper or a spun polyolefin, for example, Tyvek (duPont.TM.).
The strip of connected bags of the instant invention is particularly effective from a manufacturing standpoint since it can be manufactured in an automated operation from an elongated tubular plastic strip and an elongated strip of a spun polyolefin or paper. In particular, the tubular plastic strip can easily be heat sealed, slit and perforated in a continuous automated operation to form individual connected bag wall portions, and the paper or polyolefin access strip can easily be applied in a continuous operation so that it covers the slits of the bags. Because of the configurations of the bags, all of the heat seals which are applied to define the ends thereof are relatively uniform seals which uniformly encompass only two layers of plastic material. Further, because of the way in which the individual bags are connected, they can be filled automatically before they are separated, and the access strips on the bags provide easy access to the interiors thereof after the bags have been separated and sealed, and in the preferred embodiment, they also provide a means for introducing sterilizing gases into the interiors of the bags for sterilizing the articles contained therein.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an effective strip of detachably connected bags, of the type having detachable access strips thereon, wherein the strip can be effectively manufactured in an automated operation.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective strip of detachably connected bags which is adapted for automated feeding operations wherein the bags are of the type having detachable access strips thereon.
A still further object of the instant invention is to provide an effective strip of connected bags which is adapted for automated feeding operations, wherein the bags are of the type which have breathable strips thereon for sterilizing articles contained therein utilizing sterilizing gases.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.